PRIMARY DOCUMENT

“To be SOLD by the subscriber, at her STORE in Williamsburg, A large and well chosen ASSORTMENT of GOODS, which consist as follow:” (April 20, 1775)

CONTEXT

In this advertisement in the April 20, 1775, issue of Pinkney’s Virginia Gazette, milliner Catherine Rathell lists the goods she needs to sell before returning to London. The banning of many imported goods after the signing of the Continental Association in 1774 caused many British tradeswomen to leave Williamsburg.

FULL TEXT

To be SOLD by the subscriber, at her STORE in Williamsburg, A large and well chosen ASSORTMENT of GOODS, which consist as follow:

MINIONET and blond lace and edgings, white sattin and lustring, a great variety of black, white, and other coloured silk petticoats, patent net aprons and hoods, superfine fancy and dress caps, stomachers and knots, tambour muslin, waistcoats, and sword knots, white, coloured, and raw silk stockings, brown thread and cotton ditto, black silk ditto, cane and silk hats, French flowers for trimming ditto, silk gloves and mits, leather and brown thread ditto, fine stamped Irish muslins for ladies gowns, which are remarkable for their beautiful colours, salmon coloured, plain, and striped dimities, silk and lawn pocket handkerchiefs, silk purses, wire, gauze, ribband, and catgut, boys caps and feathers, India cotton for work, rolls and curls, childrens shoes and stockings, sattin cloaks and ferezeas, fans, garnet set in gold, plain gold and paste broaches and lockets, set combs, paste bows, crosses; sprigs, and pins, plain, gold, paste, and silver stockbuckles, marcasite and paste necklaces and earrings, gold wires, diamond and other pencils; silver bowed scissors, and French sheaths, thimbles, watch chains, lancet cases, silver shoe clasps, tea tongs, salt shovels, a silver teaspoon tray and papboat, an exceeding good silver watch to be sold at 50 percent, mens fine hats, and Didsbury’s shoes, boxes of printing types and ink for marking books and linen, black, pinchbeck, and silver shoebuckles, asses skin memorandum books, Morocco pocket ditto, pocket knives and forks, pruning and pen ditto, a second hand guittar, childrens stays and sashes, watch seals, keys and strings, black bags and roses, tureen and punch ladles, sword canes, sticks and rattans, swan skin and silk powder puffs, tooth brushes and picktooth cases, a large quantity of Irish linen, with some table cloths and towels, wash balls, a few dozen of neat flowered wine glasses, patent blacking, dolls and other toys, with many other articles.

As I purpose going to England as soon as I dispose of my goods, and remain there until liberty of importation is allowed, puts me under the necessity of not parting with a single shilling’s worth, without cash; and I request, as a favour, that all who are indebted to me will pay off their accounts this meeting, and any person who has any demands against me are desired to apply directly.

C. RATHELL.

N. B. At the same place may be had a parcel of LOAF SUGAR.

CITE THIS ENTRY
APA Citation:
Rathell, Catherine. “To be SOLD by the subscriber, at her STORE in Williamsburg, A large and well chosen ASSORTMENT of GOODS, which consist as follow:” (April 20, 1775). (2025, March 18). In Encyclopedia Virginia. https://encyclopediavirginia.org/primary-documents/to-be-sold-by-the-subscriber-at-her-store-in-williamsburg-a-large-and-well-chosen-assortment-of-goods-which-consist-as-follow-april-20-1775.
MLA Citation:
Rathell, Catherine. "“To be SOLD by the subscriber, at her STORE in Williamsburg, A large and well chosen ASSORTMENT of GOODS, which consist as follow:” (April 20, 1775)" Encyclopedia Virginia. Virginia Humanities, (18 Mar. 2025). Web. 25 Aug. 2026
Last updated: 2025, March 18
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